Sunshine spectrum: GNT launches two new Exberry orange options

12 May 2020 --- GNT Group has launched two new Exberry Coloring Foods that deliver bright orange shades in powder and oil-dispersible formats. Made from paprika and carrot, the new Brilliant Orange products provide solutions for a range of applications, including bakery icing. The new colors also come in a liquid format that allows formulators a wider range of applications. Staying on-trend, the launch comes as the summer months are on the horizon which inspires associations to warmer and sunnier days. Exberry Brilliant Orange shades are also noted for bringing ‘Instagrammable’ color to a vast range of applications while supporting clean and clear labeling.

“Orange is part of the sunshine spectrum – it’s often associated with tropical settings and feelings of joy,” Maartje Hendrickx, Market Development Manager at GNT tells FoodIngredientsFirst. “It’s also a really positive color. It can bring people together and evoke feelings of happiness. That’s something consumers across the world really want and need right now,” she explains.

Orange also presents a wide range of seasonal opportunities. “It’s ideal for summery sunshine shades, autumnal products and Halloween-themed F&B,” Hendrickx adds. 

The Exberry Shade Brilliant Orange powder is oil-soluble and water-dispersible. It is designed for a broad range of applications, including non-aerated confectionery, bakery and savory products. The oil-dispersible Exberry Shade Brilliant Orange Intense, meanwhile, is ideal for compound coatings, spray-coated oil seasonings and other fat-based applications.

The Exberry Shade Brilliant Orange powder is oil-soluble and water-dispersible. The powder and oil-dispersible options are available in addition to the existing Exberry Brilliant Orange liquid format. The new products are pH-independent and offer good light and heat stability as well as good shelf life. They are 100 percent plant-based, halal and kosher, and made without any chemical solvents. As such, they offer a clean label replacement for artificial colorants as well as additives such as annatto, beta carotene and paprika extract.

Exberry Coloring Foods are made from fruit, vegetables and edible plants using only gentle physical methods such as chopping, heating and filtering. They retain the characteristic properties of the source material and the concentrates are not selectively extracted, according to  GNT. 

Orange is associated with healthy fruit and vegetables, from juicy and naturally sweet options such as oranges and mangoes to earthy vegetables like carrots, notes Hendrickx. “Our Exberry Brilliant Orange shades are made from paprika and carrot, so they can not only help food and drink to look great but also provide reassurance when consumers turn to the ingredient list.”

“Today’s consumers are increasingly seeking out new food and drink experiences from around the world,” she continues. “Middle Eastern and African cuisines, for example, are very on-trend and there’s greater demand for flavors such as turmeric, ginger, tamarind and passion fruit. Brands can make their products memorable by utilizing these flavors alongside vivid orange colorings.”

Burst of color
The rise of social media and consumers’ increasing interest for clean label products have created the perfect storm for the proliferation of the natural colors trend. Platforms such as Instagram have given the appearance – specifically color – of food extra gravity and industry is making strides to optimize their offerings targeting planet-aware consumers living and eating in an “Instagrammable” world.

GNT has long tried to stay abreast of industry’s color trends, and earlier this year the company launched “Shades of Aqua” which it pegged as a key food and beverage color trend for 2020. Vivid blue and green hues in food is set to drive innovation as consumers seek products that “reconnect them with nature,” said the supplier of Exberry Coloring Foods. 

The prediction was on point, as Pantone hailed “Classic Blue” as its color of the year for 2020 in line with a rising industry trend for vibrant blue hues and cerulean tints in food and beverage applications. This trend was also evident at Prosweets 2020, which took place back in January, before the pandemic put on hold industry trade shows. There, blue and green were spotlighted as the trending colors for 2020, with the confectionery space using vibrant hues to attract consumer attention. 

FoodIngredientsFirst spoke to experts who said that beyond visual appeal, consumers seek natural offerings and clean label products. These demands are driving the space with color companies opting for organic, plant-based dyes. Despite demands for naturality and an effort to move away from carmine – an animal-derived coloring – some industry players say the colorant is hard to replicate and still has a position in the market.

By Elizabeth Green